7/2014 a great review by Donal Philby sent
to me by Scott McPherson, lifted from a chat site....

JUNA JUNOSDAUTTER

Jay Hoagland's JUNA loafing along.

While this is an older design she's still one
of my favorites in her size range of anything around. Strong statement,
I know, but who cares.
JUNA was designed as a close copy of JUNO, a boat I designed and
built back in the 70's (see WoodenBoat Nov.'87). JUNO worked just
great, and after I sold her served as a traveling doctor's office
in Alaska for over 10 years. However, old JUNO was just a bit
tender initially, and JUNA takes the same ideas that made JUNO
so successful, but has a bit firmer mid-section and higher aspect
sailplan to make her more weatherly, a bit flatter run to make
her faster, and is a couple feet longer for the beam which makes
wrapping hull material on even easier along with giving a trimmer
shape and a little longer waterline so she moves easier.
She is as simple to build as a seaworthy, ocean going boat can
be, and can be planked wood, plywood, or steel. She should be
able to be built quite inexpensively if you follow my suggestions
and keep things simple. And that reminds me of a funny story.....
I originally drew this design for a Design Contest for Cruising
World magazine, back, I think it was, in the late 1980s. I wasn't
so cynical back then, and actually thought they meant what they
said in the rules. The object, they said, was a cruising boat
designed for a young couple "just starting out." For
the reasons described above (to stay brief!) I thought this boat
was a natural.
Well, she didn't even place. The winner was designed by a New
Zealander, who said he thought his fantasy could be built for
under one quarter million dollars. I wrote to one of the judges
after that and said; good thing yall were lookin fer
a boat fer a young couple just startin out. God Forbid had you
aimed for a mature couple with a savings account....
To his credit, he wrote back saying he was embarrassed about that
himself.... Oh well.
Her basic hull shape is balanced and symmetrical ended which assures
predictable behavior. She has a good deal of reserve buoyancy
in her flared form, and it will take close to 3,000 pounds of
provisions to sink her from her "vacation" trim of 2"
high, down to her cruising waterline (shown on the sailplan view).
Her interior is set up to be comfortable for two, with a real
galley, a large double bunk, and lots of storage. Her dinette
will convert to a "guest bunk". Her short house can
be extended if you want, but as designed she has lots of deck
space to carry a good sized skiff, something few small cruising
boats (and some large ones) can do. Besides, the low headroom
is just over the bunk, and you don't need headroom there, and
is structurally good. I've found this to be an ideal cruising
and live-aboard interior. Yes, there's times when sleeping in
the bow isn't the most comfortable but you know, even Joshua Slocum
was at anchor 90% of the time and the rare time it's uncomfortable
in the bow, then sleep on the couch. Or the sole even. But go
ahead and change it if you want. Part of the fun in building a
custom boat is setting things up just as you want them!
Her cutter rig is very strong, and still simple and inexpensive.
Her sailplan is very versatile, and can easily be single handed.
The bowsprit has a tackle on it so you don't ever need to go out
on the end if you don't want, yet at the same time makes anchoring
easier, and gives a "J" to carry a huge light weather
sail if you want to. I'd go with the Marconi version because it's
so simple but a gaff version is included with the plans too, so
you decide.
Since I'm the designer you might want to take what I say with
a grain of salt. But, I'm very pleased with this design, and don't
see how you could do better for a medium sized cruising boat big
enough for a couple to be comfortable on, or for single handing.
She is easy and inexpensive to build, very strong and safe, good
looking, and sails well.

The photo above is of a California JUNA,
built of plywood. Her owner sailed her in a 1600 mile circle out
in the Pacific single handed. He hit one storm where the boat
was under water half the time, but she did fine. He said if there
was any complaint, it was that she went straight all the time
and didn't turn quick. But of course, the only time NOT going
straight easily is good is when you're in a marina, so in other
words, she is a great cruising boat. Her builder got married and
sold the boat, and below is a review I saw by the new owner....

We own the Juna (Solitude) pictured on Buehler's
web site. We bought her last year and sailed her down to San Diego
and are working to fit her out for some years of cruising.

Some observations:

High comfort. The boats I have sailed with
similar comfort level are the Sea Witch gaff ketch, an Atkin Eric,
and the replica of America. I have also crewed on race boats from
30-70 feet and no comparison. They are too jerky for anything
but day races. Very quiet inside. Where we bought her in the Sacramento
Delta summer temperatures reached 110?. Inside the cabin, it never
topped 80. A couple nearby said they couldn't go inside their
plastic cruiser until after dark.
Speed: Reasonably fast. I haven't felt like we had any handicap
for cruising. We do need to build a drifter and that will help.
She goes right through chop. That is far different that the last
boat we had, a Flicka, which is quite fast except for chop, when
the beam and bluff bow makes it labor. We took the Juna out the
Golden Gate in a southerly wind against an outgoing tide. While
it wasn't comfortable, we never had that feeling of someone slamming
on the breaks when we plow into a wave. Nice skinny bow just splits
the water.
One day coming down the coast we were doing 4.5 knots with bare
pole and 6.5 with just a double reef staysail. Quartering the
large swells (a surfer aboard estimated them at 15 feet) was comfortable.
No fight. No great desire to broach.
She never jerks upright. Solid mast and box steel keel with dense
ballast. Not as stiff as the Doug Peterson design I've been crewing
on, but that's for a different purpose, a different compromise.
Room: The boat is not vastly roomy. In fact, in doing a bit of
thinking about the interior, I discovered that there is just slightly
more room than the Pardey's Taliesen. Rather than an 8' bowsprit,
our Juna has two feet more overhang and a six footer. The stern
doesn't need a boomkin. Waterline length longer. But interior
room about the same, despite 37'8" LOD.
Security: There is something about the boat that is very comforting.
Everyone who has come aboard remarks on it, without prompting.
The hard thing is not to just go below and sleep. Partly that
is the nature of heavily built wooden boats, in my limited experience.
Good vibes.
Other Designs: We considered buying the steel 50' Otter shown
on the GB site. I have never been in a boat which was more comfortable
for living aboard and cruising. It would be my ideal compromise
between sail and power.
General observations: Almost any boat can be made expensive or
cheap. We've looked at a Taliesen replica that cost the owner
over $200,000. It never did go cruising. It was a piece of fine
furniture. Do you want furniture? Or do yo want to do cruising?
Sure, both is nice--if you can pay the price. Read the Griffith's
book Blue Water. Here's someone who built a ferro boat in six
months after wrecking a wood boat on a pacific reef and sailed
it three times around the world. If you love boatbuilding, there
are numerous lovely challenges for craftsmanship. Pick one of
those. If you have to build yourself because of budget or just
want some pleasure without obsessing, then the Buehler basic designs
should be considered.
Yes, we lust occasionally for the room in a flimsy, high freeboard
Hunter (especially just after hitting head on the low overhead
forward!). But we didn't have to sell the house and invest all
the savings to own her, either. Indeed, rental from the house
should fund many years of modestly budgeted, yet comfortable and
safe cruising.
The fellow who surveyed the boat for insurance said it was the
only boat he's ever surveyed that he'd willingly take around Cape
Horn.

Donal Philby

More shots of Jay Hoagland's JUNA.
She's just launched, and doesn't have her jib leads hooked up
yet.

Photo of a JUNA sent to me by Tim
Twilley.

Gaff rigged schooner version built
by Andrey Mischenko, in Russia. Note the stern cabin.

The Marconi Cutter version would
be my choice because it's so simple.

She looks pretty good as a 'gaffer
too!

You can of course set up the interior anyway
you please, but this is a great layout for a couple, comfortable
for cruising as well as living aboard. There's tremendous storage
and plenty of "elbow" room. One change I'd do is "loose"
the chart table and make a good hanging locker in it's place,
maybe even a small fridge (I'm getting soft). This drawing shows
one of the reasons I got into CAD. I was a very fast hand draftsman,
but not all that neat....

JUNA's Lines Plan shows curves that are
easy to wrap material around. I gave her the straight stern post
to simplify planking and rudder hanging, but, it just doesn't
look as good as a curved stern. You'll see the curved stern on
the sailplan drawings as well as Jay's photos. It's a bit more
trouble but worth it.

She's an ideal hull for wood construction
because of her single chine and smooth curves. She can be planked
with 2x4s, or, built of plywood. The plans also include a steel
construction plan.